Fairwater Park (also known as The Dell)

Location, Area, Boundaries, Landform and Setting

Fairwater Park is located in the Fairwater district of Cardiff centred on National Grid Reference ST141778. The area comprises a hillside of mostly open parkland and the wooded steep-sided valley of the Fairwater Brook (the dell), which lies on the north-west side of the park. At the south-west corner of the site there is a dry ski slope fenced off from the park.

The land varies in elevation from about 19mOD, where the brook leaves the site in the westernmost corner, to about 42m at the highest point of the hill. It is bounded in the east by the gardens of properties on Marionville Gardens, some of which have private access to the park, in the south by Fairwater Road, in the south-west by the car park of the Cardiff Ski and Snowboard Centre and gardens/grounds of properties on Riorden Smith Court, Clos y Nant and the Fairwater Social and Athletic Club, in the north-west by Ferrier Avenue and in the north by Pwllmelin Road, Sylvan Close and Elfed Green.

Entrances and Approaches

There is open access to the park along the boundaries with Ferrier Avenue, Elfed Green and Pwllmelin Road. The park may also be accessed from the Ski and Snowboard Centre car park, via a path from the northern side of Clos y Nant, via a path from the end of Sylvan Close and from two entrances on Fairwater Road, one just west of Marionville Gardens and the other opposite the entrance to Cantonian High School.

From the Ski and Snowboard Centre car park an asphalt path heads in a north-westerly direction then turns north-east up the dell to the entrance at the end of Sylvan Close. Where the path turns up the dell another path continues straight ahead then turns south-west across the brook and terminates at the entrance on the side of Clos y Nant. A short distance after the main path turns up the dell another path heads north-west over the brook, from the other side of which a rough-surfaced path climbs northward diagonally up the valley side via two sets of steps to Ferrier Avenue. Downstream of this path the brook flows through a small circular pond bordered by masonry banks.

Park

The area east of the ski slope, extending as far as a point opposite the western end of the Cantonian High School grounds, is well-wooded. An unmade path which runs parallel and close to Fairwater Road extends the full length of the wood. From the eastern side of the wood to Marionville Gardens the area is a south-facing open grassy hillside. An asphalt path ascends the hill from the south-east corner of the park adjacent Marionville Gardens. Near the top of the path a short side path heads in a westerly direction to a pond which is surrounded by trees and backed on the western side by a copse. The main path continues over the brow of the hill to Eled Green. The north-western side of the hill is open parkland studded with many trees.

At the top of the hill there are almost 360° panoramic views of Cardiff and the country beyond. To the south-east Cardiff Bay Barrage, the Bristol Channel and England are visible whilst to the north the hills of the South Wales Valleys can be seen.